We Are Equal, But Some Are More Equal

From Izvestia, July 17, 2024, p. 3. Condensed text:

Editors’ Note. – Moscow has an understanding of how to normalize the international situation; otherwise, the US will put all of Europe – and then some – on a war footing, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said in a July 16 speech at the UN Security Council. Russia has taken over the Security Council presidency for a month, succeeding South Korea. The Russian minister has flown into New York for a few days, with several speeches and bilateral meetings planned. The main topics of discussion at the podiums and on the sidelines will be the conflict in Ukraine and the search for a compromise on it. Izvestia has tried to sort out whether a solution is truly imminent.

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 . . . On the first day of his visit, in addition to [council] meetings, Sergei Lavrov held several bilateral talks. One of the meetings was with his Swiss counterpart, Ignazio Cassis. In mid-June, Switzerland gathered a peace conference on Ukraine, with a wide range of countries attending [see Vol. 76, No. 24‑25, pp. 3‑6]. Russia, however, did not receive an invitation to the conference, despite its involvement in the conflict.

As Bern later said, Moscow is always kept up to date. Apparently, the Swiss minister decided to touch base ahead of the next forum, which, according to announcements, could take place before the US presidential election in November. Izvestia has learned that it was Cassis who requested a meeting with the Russian minister.

Hungary is another peacemaker. Its foreign minister, Peter Szijjarto, spoke with Sergei Lavrov as part of Hungarian President Viktor Orban’s recent diplomatic tour [see Vol. 76, No. 28, pp. 3‑5].

On the UN sidelines, Szijjarto commented that he would not miss the pressure his country has been under since its leaders interacted with Russia. Despite that, however, Budapest will continue a respect-based dialogue with Moscow. As for their plan, even though it has not been put to paper, its main point is to stop sailing in the wake of US policy.

“Europe’s strategy, which essentially copies America’s, has been a failure, since sanctions hit Europe harder than Russia, the supply of weapons has not changed the situation on the battlefield, and more and more people are dying. That’s why our position is clear: There has to be a ceasefire as soon as possible,” the Hungarian foreign minister said, answering a question from Izvestia.

An Izvestia source previously reported that the Hungarian plan to resolve the situation in Ukraine largely serves Moscow’s interests. Granted, it hasn’t been submitted to Russia on paper.

“Moscow is willing to compromise on Ukraine. The most important thing for us is everything enshrined in the country’s Constitution. As [Russian President] Vladimir Putin has said many times, we are open to dialogue and a peace agreement. However, the other side has still not come around to that,” Izvestia’s source stated.

On July 16, the Russian minister also spoke at the UN Security Council in the ministerial-level debate on “Multilateral cooperation in the interest of a more just, democratic and sustainable world order.”

He spoke at length about the US’s attempt to dominate and dictate its own terms in all the world’s regions, and to put its interests above UN resolutions. Aptly recalling George Orwell’s novella Animal Farm, he drew a parallel between Washington’s behavior and that of Napoleon the pig, who believed that “all animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others.”

Another important point by the Russian minister: The Americans have put the entire collective West on a war footing, but haven’t taken on much risk themselves.

“[White House National Security Communications Adviser] Mr. [John] Kirby says, on behalf of the US president: ‘We’re not seeking a third world war. That would have terrible consequences for the European continent.’ A Freudian slip, as they say: Washington is convinced that it is not the US that will suffer from a new global war, but its European allies. If the Biden administration’s strategy is based on such an analysis, it is an extremely dangerous misconception,” the Russian foreign minister said.

For the situation not to descend completely into a stalemate, Moscow believes it is necessary to:

– understand the crisis’s root causes and find a compromise to resolve it, meaning the situation in Ukraine;

– restore the regional and global balance of power, meaning economic sanctions and monopoly holders in monetary and financial regulation, trade or technology, and ensure equal rights in the World Trade Organization, where Western forces have an advantage;

– update the UN, specifically by changing the Security Council composition so that Asia, Africa and Latin America are represented; and

– [increase] cooperation between international organizations and Eurasian regional organizations, including BRICS, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, etc.

Judging by subsequent speeches from delegates, the world will not get around to implementing this plan anytime soon.